Saturday, March 25, 2017

Here come the new taxes for 2017 for Connecticut Taxpayers thanks to the Connecticut Democrat Party. By the way Connecticut still has a budget deficit.
1. A five cent plastic bag tax. Any bag that is used by a retailer will be accessed a five cent tax that consumers will have to pay for. Supposedly this will reduce the number of plastic bags used. As we know the Connecticut Democrat Party hates these bags as they provide a convenience for shoppers to place their items in that they purchase. I will assume that not one member of the Connecticut Democrat Party uses plastic bags when they shop.
2. Tolls. As one representative stated tolls would be "all over the place". Connecticut Taxpayers would now have an even higher cost of transportation even with one of the highest state per gallon gasoline taxes in the country. Please remember a few years back that the secret gross earnings tax on fuel was supposed to resolve all of our "transportation and road" problems we had in the state.
3. A carbon tax. This would increase the costs of all energy in Connecticut by placing a $15 per ton tax on carbon emitted through fossil fuels going up $5 each year afterwords. My estimates of increased costs for Connecticut Taxpayers include a 15 to 20 cent increase in home heating oil and gasoline 10 to 15 cents a gallon. Electric costs would continue to skyrocket. This tax would placate the global warming crowd (who apparently do not drive cars or heat or cool where they live) like State Senator Ted Kennedy, Jr.
4. An increase in the state sales tax to 7% with an expansion to many previously exempted areas. This would allow Connecticut to be ranked back up in the top ten states in our country with one of the highest sales taxes in the country.
5. An elimination of the current $200 property tax exemption on your state income tax for certain income filers. Thus this can be viewed as an increase in the state income taxes.
6. A shifting of the state mandated teacher funded pension system costs to cities and towns thus increasing the already high property tax burden that local taxpayers pay. The cut is $400,000,000 which may contribute to a 3 to 6 mill property tax increase depending upon where you live.What is interesting is that there is no mention of reforming state employees management and non management salaries, benefits and pensions. I wonder why?
New and higher taxes are the order of the this legislature. More political patronage, nepotism, waste and fraud. On May 21 Connecticut Taxpayers finishing paying their total tax bill for the year. It is the longest length of time for any state as we rank 50 out of 50 states. Last in the country. Dead last. Thanks to the Connecticut Democrat Party.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

As I look back at my columns written over the years I see a reoccurring theme. Connecticut for whatever reason embraces a care free attitude towards laws, spending and political nepotism. No matter what the year, season, law or economic issue the results seem to be the same.
The results are poor economic decisions that have bankrupted Connecticut.
Higher taxes will solve all of the state's problems.
Yet even more and higher taxes will solve all of the state's problems.
Connecticut has one of the highest levels of taxes in the country.
There is no budget deficit even when there is one.
Pension reform does not exist until supposedly 2032.
Political nepotism and political appointments run amok.
Regionalization will solve our big cities problems by penalizing well run towns and giving their monies to these corrupt big cities.
There continues to be a net migration of population moving out of Connecticut.
There continues to be a net migration of businesses moving out of Connecticut.
Short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities are ignored.
Connecticut ranks near last in the country in all types of business, economic freedom and economic well being categories.
There is no following state laws or Connecticut's Constitution.
A voter passed Constitutional Spending Cap is not Constitutional.
Limits on giving money to the state Democrat Party are ignored and circumvented.
Voters have no legal power to recall any elected state official.
Voters have no legal power to eliminate the taxpayer funded public campaign financing program.
Illegal Immigration is embraced and funded by legal Connecticut Taxpayers monies.
Your body parts will become property of Connecticut when you die to be disposed of as they see fit.
Prisoners who commit violent crimes are released early to be allowed to commit even more violent crimes.
Connecticut needs to start all over again. It is a political and economic mess that should alarm even the most liberal in the state. This current legislative session again proves the lack of economic foresight and long term solutions to Connecticut's problems.
The answers to me are simplistic. Cut spending. Cut waste and fraud in Connecticut's government. Cut salaries, benefits and pensions for both management and non management state workers. Eliminate useless laws and state programs that waste money. Lower taxes.
It is simple yet complex. Especially for individuals who feed off of the Connecticut Taxpayer's trough for their personal political and financial gains while these same Connecticut Taxpayers are condemned by these same politcially connected individuals.
It is Time to Take Back Connecticut. Again is it too late?

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Dan Malloy wants the Connecticut Republicans budget immediately. ASAP. Pronto. Malloy in my opinion needs the Connecticut Republicans budget immediately to confide to our biased media how bad it is. In all probability it will contain real pension reforms, cut spending and will allow for some business tax cuts. It will be dead on arrival as Malloy has not and never will negotiate a budget with the Connecticut Republicans for the rest of his term. After much grandstanding and rhetoric Connecticut Taxpayers will be forced to pay more taxes on a state level. They will be paying more property taxes on a local level. They will continue to pay for a ruling political elite and a state budget that consists basically of salaries, benefits and pensions.
Financial and fiscal reform is dead on arrival.
Salary reform reform is dead on arrival.
Benefit reform is dead on arrival.
Pension reform is dead on arrival.
Yet Dan Malloy will scream for that Connecticut Republican budget proposal. He will dismiss it as economic garbage immediately. He will state that he did the best he could given all the bad things he inherited from previous administrations. He will state that regionalism is the only way out to prop up the Democrat city voting machines of Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven through the economic penalization of economically efficient towns. He will state that higher taxes are the only way out to somehow restore economic vitality to the state even though in 2016 no new jobs were created in the state and that taxes have been raised non stop since he has taken office.
For 2017 Dan Malloy and his Connecticut Democrat Party priorities are basic. New and higher taxes to continue to support Connecticut state employees both management and non management. Give legal status and resident benefits to those who are here illegally. To tax plastic shopping bags and make your body state property when you die.
Connecticut's budget is still a mess. Compliments of Dan Malloy and the Connecticut Democrat Party. Hurry up Connecticut Republican budget. Malloy ran out of time. More importantly Connecticut Taxpayers have run out of time, money and patience.

Sunday, March 05, 2017

One can be very confused by trying to understand the concept of the Connecticut Democrat Party's rhetoric with regards to new and higher taxes. If one is to follow their line of thinking one could argue that by taxing virtually anything and everything Connecticut's economic problems will be solved. Gone will be the constant year-in and year-out yearly budget deficits. Each year since Governor Malloy has taken office he has raised and or initiated new taxes. Each year since Governor Malloy has taken office Connecticut has had a budget deficit. Each year since Governor Malloy has taken office many Democrat liberals want to implement new and higher taxes especially on the working "rich" of the state. Each year more and more working taxpayers are moving out of Connecticut to avoid the new and higher taxes that are signed into laws. Each year Connecticut's tax revenues drop. Each year the budget deficit grows higher. Each year Connecticut's short and long term debt increases along with its unfunded liabilities. Thus Connecticut's combined debt is anywhere from $60 to $80 billion dollars with no relief in sight.
Do you see a pattern here?
Do you see the economic danger of new and higher taxes impacting Connecticut's economy to the point of no return?
Can you as a Connecticut Taxpayer imagine a budget that realistically cuts state spending especially for salaries, benefits and pensions that in turn would start to pay down Connecticut's record debt?
Imagine it for it is not reality, nor in my opinion will ever be reality so long as Governor Malloy remains Governor and the State Legislature is a tool of the politically connected and its unions.
2017 picks up the same economic rhetoric as we seen in prior years. More taxes solve everything. Here in Connecticut more taxes further close the door of economic freedom for Connecticut Taxpayers. That is the danger that the Connecticut Democrat Party offers and embraces to its citizens.
Do you see a pattern here?
Do you see the economic danger of new and higher taxes impacting Connecticut's economy to the point of no return?
I do.

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About Me

I have been an educator for 35 years teaching over twenty courses in business and economics on a part time basis for several different colleges and universities here in Connecticut. I have a Bachelors of Science in Journalism and a Masters of Science in Economics. I also enjoy writing about and collecting football memorabilia. I am a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association and a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. I also publish Gridiron Greats Magazine.